


Everything Looks Perfect From Far Away

by ix3thehpseries



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, a few got shut down by canon, and make sense within the progression of the season, idk i write them as spec mostly so, these are all technically canon divergence i guess, they take place within the context of the show tho, well most of them, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-09-30 06:32:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10156259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ix3thehpseries/pseuds/ix3thehpseries
Summary: A collection of canon-verse (but slightly canon-divergent/speculative) s4 drabbles.#4: prompt: "Would love to read an Octavia Bellamy conversation where they kind of reconcile more."#5: You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved.#6: prompt: “Bellamy and Clarke encounter each other again, each knowing the other was willing to sacrifice themselves (black rain, nightblood trials) while separated?”#7: Murphy's not leaving Raven behind.#8: Bellarke missing moment from 4x09.#9: The conclave doesn’t go quite how anyone expected it to.





	1. chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> The title is a lyric from the song Such Great Heights bc I'm basic.

Clarke wasn’t surprised when Bellamy followed her down the Ark’s corridors to the Chancellor’s office. She was surprised when he sunk down on to the couch and said “Abby Griffin”.

The ride back to Arkadia had been silent, the three of them taking turns driving. When they’d arrived back at camp, Jaha had set off to find Raven and Clarke set off to write the list she had promised.

“What?” Clarke asked. She was standing at the window overlooking the camp. It was late afternoon, but instead of breaking for the day, Clarke watched as the evening work shift began to take over.

“Your mom’s a doctor,” Bellamy said. “She’s on the list no matter what.” He shrugged off his jacket and settled into the couch, letting his head fall back.

Clarke turned away from the window and nodded as she made her way over to the desk. “Jackson should be on it, too. Just in case.” She rummaged around, finding a pen and some paper and writing down the first two names.

“Raven,” Bellamy said.

“Wait, we need to think about this,” Clarke said. “We wouldn’t have survived this long without Raven, but we need some type of criteria. Raven’s an engineer. So is Monty. So is Jaha. How many engineers are we going to allocate spots to? How many of the guard, how many-“

“Clarke, breath,” Bellamy cut in. “Our goal is to ensure the survival of the human race, right?” Clarke nodded. “How do we do that?”

Bellamy’s question hung heavily in the air for a few minutes before Clarke spoke. “We need to favor young women that are healthy enough to have children. I can look at medical records.”

Bellamy nodded and shifted on the couch, sitting up straighter. “I think we should keep it at two spots per job. We have your mom as our doctor, and Jackson in case something goes wrong. Raven’s our engineer.”

They took a few minutes to discuss whether Monty or Jaha should be their second engineer and once Clarke had written Jaha’s name down she excused herself to go grab the medical records before they wrote any other names down.

When she came back, Octavia’s name was in the fifth spot. She looked up at Bellamy after she set the medical records down and he stared back at her, expression defiant.

“I’m thinking we should go with a sixty-forty ratio,” Clarke said, settling back down at the desk. “Sixty women, forty men. I’ll check the medical records as we go and veto anyone who might be a drain on supplies.” The tension left Bellamy’s shoulders and he nodded.

They continued working through the evening - past the sunset, after last call for dinner in the mess hall - trading names back and forth, checking medical records and slowly creating the list of one hundred survivors. Clarke didn’t realize how much time had passed until she was suggesting “Kim Shumway” for number ninety-eight and she looked up at Bellamy’s silence to see him passed out, one hand still on his gun holster even in sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, I am Not Here for this hiatus and I've also had writer's block for a while, so I'm trying to make both of those things better by writing The 100 drabbles. If you wanna leave me a prompt (canonverse or au) feel free to hit me up on [tumblr](http://fitnessandfandom.tumblr.com/ask).
> 
> Also, feel free to critique this. I haven't written without workshopping my stuff in a while and it's weird being the only set of eyes on this.


	2. chapter two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's nearly morning by the time they get the fire in Arkadia put out.

It takes the better part of the night to get the fire put out, Arkadians passing buckets of water back and forth from the lake. Finally, a quick, harsh rain comes, putting out the last of the smoldering ship while also sending everyone into a panic before they realize that the rain is still fresh, not black.

Once the fire’s out they get to work. The guard are sent in to the ship to find salvageable medical supplies and retrieve the bodies of those that didn’t make it out. Clarke sets up a makeshift medical bay under a metal overhang near the gate. A steady stream of people come past through the night, though Clarke can do little more than advise them to go down to the lake and avoid the smoke still lingering over Arkadia.

Dawn is just breaking over the horizon when Bellamy makes his way over to Clarke. He’d been by a few times, periodically checking in on Octavia. This is the first time that it’s been empty.

Clarke smiles when she sees him. Her legs are stretched out and she’s got Octavia’s head resting in her lap. “Octavia’s still breathing. I told you, she’ll make a full recovery. She just needs sleep.”

“I believe you,” Bellamy says. Still, he sits on the other side of Octavia and picks up her hand, like he’s afraid she’ll vanish if he’s not in direct contact with her. “How are you doing?”

Clarke strokes Octavia’s hair and looks out over the camp when she answers, “Okay. People are coughing and have burns that we can’t soothe, but there weren’t too many serious injuries.”

“Clarke.” Bellamy says. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I’m fine. I’m not the one who was kidnapped.”

Bellamy gives her a long look. “Do you want me to apologize for being kidnapped?” He asks, sarcasm clear in his words.

It takes less than a minute for Clarke to relent. Her shoulders slump and she lets out a long breath. “Sorry. But you were the one that was kidnapped. How are you doing?”

“Echo told me Octavia was dead. She’s not,” Bellamy says. He looks at Octavia, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. It’s not a question when he says, “You saved her.”

Clarke looks over to where they have Ilian in chains, two guards flanking him. It had been chaos for a moment, after the initial shock of the burning Ark wore off. Guns were pointing at Ilian, but Kane took charge, calming the crowd and getting Ilian restrained.

“He brought her to camp. Octavia told Niylah he just used her to get in, but I wouldn’t have been able to patch her up if he hadn’t brought her here.”

“Harper said she stopped breathing when he brought her in.” Bellamy looks up to Clarke, waits until she looks back at him to say, “Thank you.”

Clarke sends him a small smile and lets her head tilt back, staring up at the sky. “I don’t know if our alliance with Roan is going to hold.”

Bellamy stay silent and waits for her to continue. 

“I told him he could have fifty of the spots on the Ark. That was the deal we made in the cave.” Her voice cracks. “We don’t have the Ark anymore.”

“Clarke-“

“We don’t have a backup plan anymore. Raven and my mom have to find out how to create Nightblood. That’s our only hope.”

“They’ll figure it out,” Bellamy says, sure. Clarke can’t tell if he believes it or if he’s saying it for her benefit.

“And we’ll be fine. If Roan really wanted to attack us, he would have by now. With the Ark gone, he knows our best bet is Nightblood. And he can’t get that without us.”

Clarke nods, swiping quickly at her eyes and averting her gaze.

“Hey,” he knocks his knee against her foot and waits until she looks back at him, “We’ve gotten through everything else the ground has thrown at us. We’ll get through this, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still writing drabbles, so if you've got any (canon or AU) prompts, hit me up on [tumblr](http://fitnessandfandom.tumblr.com/ask). :)


	3. chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "Could you write one where Bellamy overhears a conversation between Echo and Clarke. Where Clarke is telling Echo exactly what she thinks of her stabbing Octavia and taking Bellamy prisoner. Then Bellamy talks to Clarke about the things he heard her say."

When Bellamy goes to look for Clarke, he’s not exactly expecting to find her threatening Echo’s life in a secluded spot a little ways off from Arkadia, but that’s only because he’d never really thought about it. If someone had asked him if that were a plausible situation, he would have said yes. Clarke’s not one to hesitate when it comes to making her feelings known or protecting her friends, and Bellamy had seen the shift in her when she’d found out that Echo had been the one to stab Octavia.

Throughout the chaos of putting out the fire in Arkadia, trying to treat the injured, and figuring out what to do with Ilian, Bellamy had mentioned it in an almost off-hand way. “We need more water on the left. Echo was the one who told me Octavia was dead. Kane’s dealing with Ilian for now.”

Bellamy hadn’t thought much on it when Clarke’s shoulders tensed and she spit, “ _Echo’s_ the one who stabbed her?”

Now, with Monty’s news about getting the radio working and having a message from Raven, the last thing on Bellamy’s mind is Clarke confronting Echo.

He’d gone looking for her to tell her Monty wanted to talk to them and when he’d caught her voice he quickened his pace in the direction of the tree line. It was when he was close enough to hear his own name that he paused.

“She took Bellamy hostage. She stabbed Octavia and pushed her off of a cliff. Forgive me if I don’t want her in my camp.”

Without seeing him, Bellamy can picture Roan’s raised brows as he replies, “Your camp?”

“My camp,” Clarke repeats, tone even.

“She was following my orders.”

“I’m aware,” Clarke says. “You’re the king. She’s not.”

“My king, I-“

Roan cuts Echo off. “We don’t have time for this. She’s part of the Royal Guard. My guard. She’s with me. I’ve forgiven Bellamy for shooting me, you can forgive Echo for capturing him.”

Bellamy considers ducking behind a tree, but that seems both guilty and cowardly, so he stands his ground. Roan levels him with a look of absolute disdain as he passes him, but doesn’t say anything and it's quiet until Echo’s voice rings out. “I was following orders.”

“I don’t give a damn about your orders.” Clarke’s voice is low. “You stabbed Octavia. You kidnapped Bellamy-“

“If you want to threaten me, do it. I could kill you with one blow.”

“You might know how to kill me with a sword, but I know how to kill you slowly, painfully, and undetectably. And if you put so much as a scratch on either Blake again, I won’t hesitate to.”

Echo huffs and Bellamy watches as she storms off toward the lake, away from the still-smoking remains of Arkadia.

He waits for a few seconds to pass before clearing his throat and saying, “There you are. Monty wants to see us. He got the radios up and he’s got a message from Raven.”

To Clarke’s credit, she doesn’t even jump. Just turns around, nods once, and says, “Great,” before striding past him.

Bellamy falls into step with her and says, “I didn’t know you were so protective, Princess.” 

He doesn’t even know why he says it because it’s a complete lie. He pulled the lever in Mount Weather with Clarke to protect their people. Protective is one of Clarke’s defining qualities.

She doesn’t falter as she asks, “What are you talking about?”

“I caught the end of that. Can you really kill Echo without anyone detecting it?”

“Not entirely, but I’m sure I could figure out a way.”

The color in Clarke’s cheeks is almost hidden by the early morning light, but Bellamy just catches it as he lets out a surprised laugh.

“I’m not trying to give you a hard time,” he says in response to Clarke’s glare. “I appreciate you looking out for Octavia. Echo expects me to threaten her about it, so it’s good to keep her on her toes.”

Clarke opens her mouth, then closes it again and stops walking, pulling Bellamy to a halt beside her.

“Bellamy, that wasn’t about Octavia,” she pauses and shakes her head a little. “Well, it was, but it also wasn’t. It was awful when they brought her in and I was so relieved that she was okay, but they took you hostage. I didn’t even know if you were okay or not and everything fell apart while you were gone. You’re the one that I need.”

Bellamy swallows and tries to ignore the swooping sensation in his stomach, the one he gets whenever Clarke says something like this.

_I trust you. I need you. Together._

“Clarke-“

“No, I mean it. Jasper and Monty found the list and when he tried to read it, I shock-lashed him and had him locked up. Monty read it anyway and Jaha was the one who had to calm the crowd.” Now that she’s started, it’s like she can’t stop, talking on one breath and looking like she might cry. “I’m better with you around. I promised Roan fifty spots on the Ark because he had Kane and _you_. I need _you_.”

Bellamy barely registers that he’s pulling Clarke into a hug until her arms are like a vice around him and his face is buried in her hair. He waits until he no longer feels her breath catching to let go and says, “We should probably get back. Whatever Monty’s heard from Raven is important."

Clarke nods, swiping at her eyes and leading the way back to camp. It takes Bellamy a few minutes, but Clarke’s smile is worth is when he quietly says, “You make me better, too, Clarke.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I think these are getting progressively better. It's so weird when you haven't written in a while and then start to again, but this was so much fun. I'm still taking canon and AU prompts here or on [tumblr](http://fitnessandfandom.tumblr.com/ask).


	4. chapter four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "Would love to read an Octavia Bellamy conversation where they kind of reconcile more."

While they’re dealing with the fire and Monty getting the radios back up and trying to salvage what they can of the Ark, Bellamy stops by the makeshift medbay as much as he can. If Octavia’s asleep he’ll hold her hand, stroke her hair, just to reassure himself that yes, she’s alive.

At one point, throughout the haze of the night, Octavia wakes up and mumbles something about being able to take care of herself and he can’t help it when he says, “Echo told me you were dead.”

She stops pulling away from him and pauses, instead squeezing his hand. Her voice is quiet when she says, “I’m fine, big brother.”

After that, he tries to only stop in if he has a reason to talk to Clarke. He keeps his eyes on Octavia the entire time he’s there and misses Clarke’s knowing smiles, but he thinks it might be better if he doesn’t hover.

Octavia’s already been cleared when he finds out about the hydrazine and the ridiculously dangerous trip to deliver it to Abby and Raven. He finds her with Niylah, who Clarke’s decided to leave in charge of medical while they’re gone, and when he asks if they can talk she follows him toward a secluded part of camp, near the gate.

“I’m going with Clarke and Roan to take the hydrazine to Raven and Abby. Raven thinks she figured out the Nightblood, but she needs the hydrazine to test her theory.”

“You could die,” Octavia says, tone dry, like he isn’t already aware of that.

He shrugs. “I could die every day. I’ll die in a few months if we don’t figure out the Nightblood. We have to do it.”

He turns, figuring that the conversation is over. It’s gone the way that most have between them lately – stilted and perfunctory. But then Octavia says, “Bell” and her arm shoots out to grab his wrist. She tugs him toward her, wrapping him in a hug and it takes Bellamy a second to orient himself, to let his arms come around her, but she sags into him as soon as he does.

“I’m sorry.” It’s so quiet that Bellamy thinks he might have imagined it, but even in his imagination she never apologized, they were just back to normal without any fanfare.

Her arms tighten around him and he lets his hand rub her back as she continues, “You’re my brother and I don’t want to lose you, too.”

“You’ll never lose me, O.” Bellamy’s voice is gruff and he knows it’s obvious that he’s holding back tears. “I love you.”

“You, too.” Octavia breaks the hug, sniffing once and then throwing back her shoulders and giving Bellamy’s arms a soft shove. “Now, go. I’m sure Raven will be pissed if you guys are running late with her explosives.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still taking prompts here and on [tumblr](http://fitnessandfandom.tumblr.com/ask) for canon and au drabbles. :)


	5. chapter five

Monty’s not sad. He’s not disappointed. He’s angry.

He’s lost more friends than he can count – from Grounder attacks, Mount Weather, the fucking weather on this planet. It’s been trying to kill them since they got here, but some of them are still alive.

He’s had to kill his mother. Twice. He shot her and then he deleted her code from the City of Light. She wasn’t really alive there, couldn’t come back to him, but it still hurt.

And now, they have a way to save themselves. _He_ found a way to save them. And Jasper and Harper want to stay in Arkadia. They want to die – to give up after everything they’ve been through, everything they’ve survived.

“Jasper,” he says, forced calm into his voice. “It might not be a way to live right now. But that’s temporary. We survive for five years and then we can live.”

“Maybe we don’t,” Jasper says. “Maybe we don’t live after we get out. We were dying as soon as we hit the ground. There’s no guarantee that we’ll live after the radiation.”

“There might not be a guarantee that you’ll live, but there _is_ a guarantee that you’ll die if you stay here.”

“Don’t you see?” Jasper asks and it takes all of Monty’s composure to not slam his hand against the glass where Jasper’s face is. “I’ve tasted freedom, the freedom of earth. And going back into that bunker is like going back onto the Ark. How long until systems start dying and the whole cycle starts again?”

He pauses. “How long until they start culling us again? You weren’t on the list, Monty. What makes you think you’d be safe now?”

Monty doesn’t say anything as Jasper walks away.

He feels an arm drop over his shoulders and then Bellamy’s saying, “Monty, we have to go. You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.”

“Yes, I can,” Monty says, voice low. “I’m not losing anyone else if I can help it.”

Bellamy squeezes his shoulder, once, quick. “We leave in five. We can’t drag them with us if they don’t want to go, but I will drag you along if I have to.”

Jasper is on the other side of the room, but Monty doesn’t care.

“Jasper!” he yells, banging his fist against the glass. “Jasper! Jasper, get over here! You’re not staying!”

He keeps shouting. He sees Harper glance over once and he tries to catch her eye, but she turns away before he can. Riley, Bree, a few others look at him, look at Jasper, and then look away.

Monty doesn’t realize he’s crying until Bellamy comes back, taking by the shoulder again and turning him away from the doors. “It’s time to go,” he says, quiet. Monty nods.

Miller and Bryan are waiting at the end of the hall and Monty takes one last glance at the doors before they leave. Jasper’s swaying to a song that Monty can’t hear, a drink in one hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made myself sad.


	6. chapter six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: “Bellamy and Clarke encounter each other again, each knowing the other was willing to sacrifice themselves (black rain, nightblood trials) while separated?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy show day!! In honor of finally having a new episode tonight, here's a little (canon, speculative) Bellarke drabble. :)

“What’s the bunker like?” Clarke asks, getting to the point immediately.

Bellamy sighs and walkie crackles when he answers, “I haven’t seen it. Kane went with Jaha and Monty.”

He doesn’t tell her that Kane didn’t ask him to go or what he was doing while they were busy discovering a way to ride out the end of the world. He just rests his head on one hand, elbow on the desk in the Chancellor’s office. “They’re working with Indra to hold the temple against the Ice Nation. We sent more guards to help, and the rest of us are leaving tomorrow morning, but it’s not looking good, Clarke.”

Now it’s her turn to sigh. “We’re got less than a week to work out the logistics of this and we’re going to have a war to worry about.”

“Isn’t that how it always works for us?” Bellamy asks. “Every good thing comes with a catch – we find a bunker, but first we have to fight a war to decide who gets to use it.”

Clarke lets out a soft, surprised laugh. “Yeah,” she says, quiet, letting herself flop back onto the bed she’s been sleeping in. “It seems that way.”

He doesn’t say anything else, but she can hear what he’s not saying in his voice. She’d overheard Kane talking to her mother before he went to look for the bunker.

_“I’m worried about him.” He’d said. “The boy, Peter, was one of the original hundred children that we sent down. Bellamy felt like it was his responsibility to protect him.”_

_“I’m sure he’ll be fine, Marcus.”_

_“I told him that he couldn’t save Octavia if she didn’t want to be saved.” It was quiet for a long time before Kane spoke again. “Abby, I’m worried he doesn’t want to be saved, either.”_

“Tell me about your end,” Bellamy says. “What happened with the Nightblood? Is there any way we can give it to the people we can’t fit in the bunker?”

“No,” Clarke says, voice guarded. “The radiation chamber was destroyed before we could test the latest version of it.”

“What?” he asks. She can hear the frustration in his voice. “How?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Clarke says. And then, quick, because she knows he’s not going to like it: “I injected myself.” She doesn’t bother with the rest of it. She can tell him the full story later.

“You did _what_?” Bellamy’s voice is sharp and it stings Clarke a little. He’ll understand when she tells him everything – he might be the only one who will really, truly understand – but she’s just so tired of it all right now. She doesn’t have the energy to explain.

“Don’t,” Clarke says. “Don’t, Bellamy. You would do the same thing – you have! You’re always willing to risk your life for our people-“

“That’s different-“

“It’s not.” Clarke’s voice is hard and final. She puts one arm over her eyes, squeezing them closed tight. “We always do what’s necessary for our people. I have to go. I’ll see you in Polis.”

****

The Arkadians don’t arrive in Polis until nightfall and it’s hard to tell Kane that people chose to stay behind – that Bellamy had to let people stay behind. Monty hasn’t spoken since they left, but Kane pulls him to the side, talking numbers and plans and Monty slowly starts coming back to life.

Kane leads them down the tunnels, a few of the guard, and some others who have been deemed ‘cleared personnel’.

Bellamy’s barely stepped foot in the bunker when he’s being knocked backwards.

“Hey,” he says, catching Clarke around the waist. Once he regains his footing he lets himself bury his face in her hair. Her arms wrap tighter around him, like she’s worried that if she lets go she’ll disappear. He understands the feeling.

“I told you we’d see each other again,” she mutters, quiet, against his shoulder.

They let go after a few seconds longer than they probably should, given that people are moving around them in a flurry of work to ready the bunker.

Clarke rocks back on her heels, steeling herself. She moves to the side, so that they’re situated in a corner and have a bit more privacy.

“I’m sorry,” she says, looking directly into his eyes. “I was frustrated with everything and I was short with you on the walkies, and I shouldn’t have been. We don’t have time for any of that anymore.”

“Clarke, no,” Bellamy says. “You were right. I would have done the same thing, if it meant protecting our people. I’m not happy about it, but I get it.”

Clarke nods, once, then she reaches for his hand, squeezing it tightly before letting go. “Let’s go. We’ve got a lot to talk about and not a lot of time. The fighting’s going to start soon.”


	7. chapter seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Murphy's not leaving Raven behind.
> 
> Also, if you aren't already [voting](http://www.eonline.com/news/846427/alpha-male-madness-2017-vote-in-the-final-round) for Bob in the Alpha Male Madness poll go do so bc we're at 49.2% last I checked and Bob deserves to win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I still think Raven's gonna live and they're gonna kill Abby and tbh I don't think that was a wrap up of Raven and Murphy's arc/development bc one of them is gonna die, but a moment to show that they've both come to terms with what happened and are moving on bc it's the end of the world. I think that either a.) Murphy's going to change his mind and say that they can't leave Raven or (more likely) b.) they're gonna get to Polis, Clarke's gonna find out what happened and be like "hell no we're going to get her" and Murphy's gonna have a choice to stay in safety or go save Raven and he's gonna go with the group to save her bc he's grown as a person. But I wrote option A bc this Murphy/Raven dynamic is giving me life and I wanted to write a bit of it. :)

They get the cargo truck loaded up in silence, Jackson and Miller sliding back into the front and Emori standing in the back, waiting for Murphy. “John?” she says.

He reaches for her outstretched hand, one foot on the bumper of the truck ready to hoist himself up, but he stops, looking back over his shoulder once more.

Murphy swears. “Tell them I’ll be right back.”

His footsteps echo loudly in the lab.

“You forget something?” Raven asks, looking up. She still has that frenzied look and she’s shifting from foot to foot, her eyes darting to something next to her that Murphy can’t see.

“Yeah,” he says, going for casual, “You. We’re not leaving without you, Raven.”

Her mouth becomes a tight line and she turns away from him, back to her work. “Murphy, I told you-“

He shakes his head, cutting her off. “No, I know what you said. And I think it’s crap. The Raven Reyes I know doesn’t go down without a fight.”

“There’s no way to fight this,” she says, finality in her tone. “I’m dying.”

Murphy runs a hand through his hair, leaving it to grip the back of his neck as he says, “What about everyone in Polis? Clarke and Abby and Luna. They’re all gonna need you, especially down in that bunker.”

Raven’s laugh is harsh. “Everyone will be fine in the bunker. I won’t be any help without my mind.”

“So what?” he says, “You want to spend your last days figuring out how to launch yourself into space, figuring out how to spacewalk?” When she doesn’t respond he continues, “You’re gonna use your brain no matter what, I get that. But are you really telling me that you’re not gonna use it to find a way to survive?”

There are tears in Raven’s eyes as she says, “I found a way to survive!”

“You found a way to die!” Murphy shoots back. “I’ve been there before, okay, I get it. You don’t want to live with the uncertainty, with the fear that it might not get better. But screw that, Raven. You’re a survivor, just like me. And I’m not leaving you here to give up.”

“There’s no way to save me,” Raven says, quiet. “I’ve run every possible test. It’s just going to get worse.”

“Then stop running tests and start thinking of other options. We’ve got any useful tech on the truck and we’re going to Polis. The chip was connected to their religion, maybe we can find something useful there.”

Raven pauses, her eyes flicking to whatever it is that Murphy can’t see. She’s quiet for a minute and then she wipes her eyes and snaps her gaze back on Murphy. “Go get Miller, I need you guys to help me carry a few more things to the truck. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

Murphy doesn’t move as she makes her way to another desk, opening drawers. She doesn’t look up at him as she says, “Go!”


	8. chapter eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellarke missing moment from 4x09.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, babes, if you're not voting for Bob to win the Alpha Male Madness poll, [go vote!!!!](http://www.eonline.com/news/846427/alpha-male-madness-2017-vote-in-the-final-round)
> 
> (also yes i am writing abt a bellarke reunion again bc i feel ROBBED.)

Bellamy doesn’t question it when he gets to Polis and, after giving him a brief summary of what’s been going on, Kane tells him, “She’s in the tower. Top floor, three doors down, to the right.” He just nods and makes his way up. He doesn’t bother knocking because she’s out on the balcony, her eyes on the city below.

“Hey,” he says, breaking the silence. Clarke doesn’t jump or look back at him – just waits until he joins her.

“Hey,” she says. Bellamy waits for her to say something first, assuming that if Kane sent him up to her she has something she wants to talk about.

He’s a little thrown off when she says, “I heard about the black rain.”

Bellamy clears his throat, his tone even when he says, “I heard about you injecting yourself with nightblood and attempting to become the next Commander.”

“Bellamy-”

“You realize that’s one of your shittier plans, right?” he continues, talking over her, “And you’ve had some real shitty plans in the past, Clarke.”

“I was trying to prevent a war.”

He doesn’t say anything, just turns so that he’s facing her, arms crossed over his chest.

“It was a shitty plan,” she admits quietly. Sighing, she turns to look at him. “I didn’t take the nightblood to become Commander. I took it so that we wouldn’t inject Emori.”

He drops his crossed arms. “Why were you going to inject Emori?”

“We needed to test someone,” Clarke says. Her tone is the same one she uses when she makes a decision for the greater good. It seems like the only tone she uses anymore. “She was the easiest target.”

Instead of asking about it, Bellamy turns back to the city. “You remember Peter? He was at the Dropship with us?” He feels more than sees Clarke nod. “I tried to save him and his father, but I couldn’t.”

She doesn’t say anything and a few minutes pass in silence before Bellamy says, “Jasper and Harper stayed behind. A lot of people did. Monty’s staying with the rover for as long as he can in case anyone changes their mind.”

“It might not matter. It all depends on how the conclave turns out.”


	9. chapter nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conclave doesn’t go quite how anyone expected it to.

The Conclave begins with immediate bloodshed. Within five minutes, three champions have been eliminated, dead in the streets beneath the Tower. The rest fan out, breaking off from the main battle to hurry down side streets - finding cover, places to lay in wait.

That’s Octavia’s strategy.

After a brief skirmish and confrontation with Ilian, she runs. She’s already bloody, the paint on her face smeared.

It’s slow after that, but one by one the champions grow impatient, leaving their hiding places and searching for opponents. By midday, only five remain.

Octavia lasts another hour before she leaves the alley she’d ducked down. She doesn’t meet anyone until she reaches the center of Polis and what she sees causes her to pause.

Ilian’s blade is clashing with – _someone_. She doesn’t know what clan the larger man represents, but he’s all quick, sharp jabs and aggression. Ilian’s holding his own, but just barely. He favors his left leg and he’s got one hand pressed against his side, trying to staunch the blood flow that’s coming from a gash.

The other man knocks Ilian’s sword out of his hand, and without a single hesitation, stabs him in the chest, twisting the blade once before pulling it out.

Octavia doesn’t think, she just moves. She stabs the man through the back before he has the chance to turn. Her blade goes straight through, pushing out, and he has a moment to look down at the protrusion before he falls to his knees. Octavia pulls out her blade, wiping it clean of his blood.

She pauses, taking a moment to check her surroundings before kneeling next to Ilian and closing his eyes, muttering that his fight is over, before she stands. 

From the Tower balcony, Clarke and Bellamy watch it all.

Clarke grips the ledge of the balcony tight as they watch Octavia stalk through the streets of Polis. With the last two deaths, there are only three champions left – Octavia, Roan, and Luna.

Twenty minutes pass, lulling everyone into a false sense of security. It’s then that Luna jumps out of an enclave, blade clashing with Octavia’s.

Octavia’s good, but Luna’s feral, meeting each of Octavia’s blows with her own, knowing when to hold off and when to surge forward. It’s quick, one misstep on Octavia’s part and Luna’s got her on her back, blade poised to stab her through the heart.

Next to her, Clarke hears Bellamy’s sharp intake of breath. She reaches for his hand and when she takes it, he interlaces their fingers, gripping her hard.

They’re so focused on Octavia that it takes a moment to realize that Luna’s gasping and falling to the side, a sword through her back.

Roan tugs his sword free, taking Luna’s place over Octavia. He drops to a crouch, the blade of his sword leaving a line of red on her neck, but he doesn’t push any more than that. He’s down for a few seconds, mouth moving quickly, before he pulls back, shouting, “I, Roan, King of Azgeda, have won the Conclave. And as a show of mercy, I’m going to let Skairippa live.” He stands, pulling Octavia to her feet with him.

He looks up, directly at Clarke, and nods.

“Clarke,” Bellamy says, voice low, “What the hell did you do?”

“I made a deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Action sequences/sword fights are not my strong suit, obviously.


End file.
